Thanks so much for sending along this manual. It’s a testament to the
quality of the product, as well as the care and thought with which it was
created specifically for us. I commend Richard and his company for
writing one of the best manuals ever written, and creating a pretty cool
little radio.
It also confirms what most of us already knew, that the entire country of
rural over the air users got absolutely reamed by the F.C.C. when they
switched to digital and sold off the spectrum, leaving everyone with weak
horrible difficult to receive television signals that are best viewed by
cable and satellite users who must pay money for the privilege, and
leaving those who want to exercise their constitutional right to receive
free over the air television suffering with inferior signals that
disappear every time the wind blows. What possible good does it do to
have all these channels if no one can pick them up reliably! Next they
will probably ruin terrestrial radio! Sorry, I'll get off my soapbox
now. All this being said, if you read down far enough Richard gives the
best description I've ever read of the differences between the way
digital and analog television works.
Reg
-----Original Message-----
From: Gene
Sent: Tuesday, July 31, 2012 10:44 AM
To: accesscomp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [accesscomp] Re: SAP Button
Just because one converter box failed doesn't tell you anything about
whether others will. Would you not purchase a new refrigerator if your
current one broke? Would you avoid purchasing any mp3 players if one
broke? Any single product may be defective. A model of a product may
have problems. That has nothing to do with whether the product in
general
should be avoided.
I'll send you information about the radio. It is a copy of the manual.
I
won't send it as an attachment. I'll include it in this message. It
contains contact information if you decide to buy one of the radios and
it
contains the operating instructions. It may help you decide if you want
it. The radio costs about 150 dollars more than a converter box. And
anything you buy, a television, a converter box or the radio will use
similar technology to decode the analog. You are buying the equivalent
of
the main part of a converter box regardless of what you buy except that
if
you buy a television, you are buying a converter box built into a
television and if you buy the radio, you are buying a converter box built
into a radio.
Here is the manual
Gene
Richard Oehm E-mail: oehmelec@xxxxxxxxxxx<P><HR></P>Oehm Electronics
DTV radio
model ATSC-25
Please read this instructions manual before operating your new DTV radio.
If you have any questions or need help with radio operation, please feel
free to call Oehm Electronics at (408) 971-6250 Monday Through Saturday
between the hours of #8-A.M. and #8-P.M. If you do this, chances are, you
will be able to talk with a real live knowledgeable person who can help
you. If when you call, you're prompted to leave a message, a real live
knowledgeable person who can help you will return your call as soon as
possible. A real live knowledgeable person is also available to answer
questions about your radio via E-Mail as well. If you prefer, E-Mail any
questions you may have about your new radio to "oehmelec@xxxxxxxxxxx".
Table Of Contents
introduction...............#3
keypad description.........#12
installation and setup.....#19
first time channel search
(menu "#5" "#1" "#1")...#22
selecting and listening to
TV channels.............#26
DTV reception............#33
searching for and
adding channels (menu
"#5" "#1" "#2" "#1")....#47
selecting alternate audio..#49
connecting audio devices...#52
using your radio with the
model BP-#25
external battery pack...#55
safety considerations......#56
FCC information............#60
warranty..................#62
Introduction
Thank you for purchasing the Oehm Electronics model ATSC-25 DTV (digital
television) radio. This radio allows you to listen too and enjoy off air
digital television program broadcasts available in the United States,
Canada and other countries employing the ATSC standards adopted and
created by the (Advanced Television Standards Committee. This radio
receives terrestrial digital TV broadcasts that employ the "8VSB" digital
TV transmission standard. This is the new digital TV transmission format
that nearly all of the TV stations located in the United States began
using exclusively after the DTV transition in June of the year 2009. This
DTV radio is designed to receive VHF and UHF ATSC DTV channels #2 through
#69. It will also receive all of the available sub-channels (which are
the
additional multicasts) offered by each terrestrial TV station), and it
will also receive all available alternate audio programs provided by
these
television stations as well. At present, our DTV ra!
dio is not able to receive and decode television signals employing the
16VSB or 256QAM transmission standards used by cable tv companies. This
means that this radio will not provide you access to your cable companies
digital cable TV offerings. All functions and features of this radio are
controlled via a front panel keypad with 27 keys. The radio sports a
telescoping whip antenna used for receiving DTV broadcasts originating
from locations close to the radio. This telescoping whip antenna can be
easily disconnected from the radio and a better quality active indoor
antenna or outdoor antenna can be substituted to obtain reception of more
distant DTV stations. The radios rear panel also has two RCA type
connectors allowing connection of this radio to stereo amplifiers, stereo
receivers, and or amplified stereo speakers. There is also a front panel
"external speaker" jack which can be used to connect this radio to an
external speaker, mono headset or a listening device for f!
olks with hearing difficulties.
This radio is housed in a wooden and plastic cabinet measuring
approximately twelve inches wide, eight inches high and approximately
nine
inches deep. The front panel of this radio is divided into two sections.
The right half of the front panel consists of a open box type frame that
contains the keypad with its 27 keys. This keypad is recessed slightly
within this box like frame at the far right of the enclosure. To the left
of this keypad is the "External speaker" jack used to connect the radio
to
a mono headset, external speaker or other listening device. This front
panel female jack is a 1/8 inch mono connector. It accommodates the 1/8
inch mono type plugs used by a wide variety of portable electronics. When
an appropriate plug from an external speaker, mono headset or other
listening device is inserted into this front panel jack, sound from the
radio's internal speaker is silenced and this audio is routed to the
listening device connected to this front panel connector. T!
he volume control of the radio controls the audio level available from
this front panel 1/8 inch female type audio connector. To the left of
this box like frame is the radios speaker. The radios speaker occupies
the left half of the front of the radio. There are four small rubber feet
on the bottom of the radio, one in each corner of the bottom of the
radio. These rubber feet provide protection for the table top or other
surface where the radio is placed. Care should be taken to ensure that
the radio is only placed upon stable completely flat surfaces.
Near the top of the far right side of the radio's rear panel is the cable
and F type male connector for the radios telescoping whip antenna. This
cable and connector from the radio's telescoping whip antenna protrude
from a hole at the far right edge of the radios rear panel. When in use,
The F type male antenna connector from this telescoping whip antenna
simply slides over the radio's rear panel female F type threaded
"antenna"
rear panel jack. This antenna jack is located fairly close too and just
to
the left of the location where the internal telescoping whip antenna with
its cable and connector exit the radio. When the radio's telescoping whip
antenna is not being used, this cable with F type male connector simply
hangs and dangles freely from the rear panel of the radio. Care should be
taken when connecting any type of antenna to the radio, to insure that
the
center pin of the male plug from the antenna cable lines up with the hole
in the center of the F type female re!
ar panel jack which is designed to accept it. Being sure that this pin is
lined up correctly and inserted properly into the radio's rear panel
antenna female jack will insure good TV channel reception. Some F type
male connector plugs utilize a threaded collar that must be tightened
over the radio's rear panel threaded connector. Other F type male
connector plugs are like that which is employed by the radio's
telescoping whip antenna and these F type male connector plugs just
simply slide onto the threaded outer surface of your radio's rear panel F
type female jack connector. The radio sports a telescoping whip antenna
located on top of the radio at the far right rear corner of the radio
cabinet. This telescoping whip antenna can be swiveled/tilted in two
directions and can also be turned/oriented a full 360 degrees for best tv
channel reception. The height of this telescoping whip antenna when fully
extended is approximately 43 inches in length. This antenna is useful
when!
the radio is being used in a location that is within approximately
twenty miles or less from the television stations you want to receive.
The performance, reception range and usefulness of this telescoping whip
antenna is dependent upon many factors: including the height of a
particular television stations transmitting antenna, any obstructions in
the path between this TV stations transmitting antenna and the radio,
and the power of the TV stations transmitter. Oehm Electronics suggests
that an outdoor TV antenna or active indoor tv antenna be used with this
radio, in locations where it is not possible to receive all of the
television channels you'd like to listen too when using the radios
telescoping whip antenna. Because this antenna is connected to the radio
via a rear panel F type RF connector, this telescoping whip antenna can
be easily disconnected and a superior outdoor or active indoor TV
antenna can be connected to the radio to make longer distance reception
possible.
Just below the "antenna" connector on the radio's rear panel is the "DC
power" connector. This connector is used to connect power to the radio,
and is labeled "+#9VDC in". It is designed to be connected to the
supplied
AC to DC power adapter. You should only use the supplied AC to DC adapter
when powering this radio from regular AC power mains. The supplied AC to
DC adapter is a surge protected and regulated 9 volt DC power supply.
Connecting a DC power source with a different polarity or higher voltage
than the supplied Oehm Electronics AC to DC adapter power supply, will
damage your radio and void your warranty. This "+#9VDC in" connector can
also be connected to an Oehm Electronics battery pack (part number BP-25)
which can power the radio for several hours with six standard D size
flashlight batteries. This battery pack is not included with your radio
and is an option which you can purchase if you're interested in operating
your radio from battery power. See the section!
of this instructions manual titled "Using An External Battery" for more
information about this.
Near the bottom right edge of the radio's rear panel are two RCA type
female jacks/connectors. These are external audio connectors which you
can
use to connect your radio to stereo amplifiers, and stereo receivers.
With
the right audio adapters, you can also use these rear panel RCA
connectors
to connect your radio to amplified stereo speakers or even a pair of
stereo headphones. See the section of these instructions entitled
"connecting audio devices" for more information. When appropriate RCA
type
male plugs are inserted into these rear panel female connectors, sound
from the radio's speaker is extinguished. The volume control of the radio
controls the audio level available from these rear panel stereo RCA type
connectors.
keypad description
The twenty seven key keypad controls and provides access to all features,
functions and operations of this radio. We realize that twenty seven keys
to control a radio seems daunting and a bit over complicated,but the fact
that six of these keys are not used and have no purpose for operating
this
radio, may help to make things seem a bit simpler. After all, the total
number of keys you need to become familiar with, is actually twenty one.
If you consider that ten of these remaining twenty one keys are numeric
keys, that reduces the number of keys you need to learn about to eleven.
Why did we choose to use a twenty seven key keypad when only twenty one
keys were needed? The twenty seven key keypad is a standard off the shelf
component that is inexpensive and readily available. By using this
inexpensive readily available component we're able to offer you this DTV
radio for less than $200.00. If we had to design and build a custom made
twenty one key keypad, we'd have to pay a g!
reat deal more to manufacture this radio and pass these increased costs
on to you. At Oehm Electronics we strive to provide the highest quality
products at the lowest possible prices.
Starting at the very top of this keypad, you will find two rather large
square keys. The key at the left is labeled "audio mute". (Pressing this
key while listening to the radio will cause the audio to disappear.
Pressing this button once more will restore the radio audio at exactly
the
same volume it was set too before the first press of this button.) The
large square key at the top right is labeled "power". (Pressing this key
toggles the radio on and off.) Below these larger square keys are two
much
smaller square keys. One of these small square keys is below and to the
left of the "audio mute" key, and the other small square key is located
below and to the right of the "power" key. The small square key located
below and left of the "audio mute" key is labeled "menu". (This "menu"
key
is used in conjunction with some numeric keys to perform the two types of
channel searches discussed later in this instructions manual.) The small
square key below and to the right of the "po!
wer" key is labeled "exit". (This "exit" key is used to return the radio
to its normal TV audio mode of operation after you use the radio's
"signal quality check" feature.) This "signal quality check" feature will
be described very soon. Below the two large and two small square keys
just discussed is a circle of five keys. There are four wedge shaped keys
arranged in a circle surrounding a fifth round circular key. These four
wedge shaped keys are meant to be "up" "down" "left" and "right" arrow or
cursor keys. These keys have no purpose in the operation of our radio.
The fifth round key located in the center of the four wedge shaped keys
is the "enter" key. (this "enter" key is used to toggle through the
available alternate audio programs when the radio is tuned to and
receiving a television channel. Each press of this key selects one of the
audio programs available for the television channel selected. See the
section of this instructions manual about "selecting alternate !
audio programs" for more information. This "enter" key is also used to
place the radio into its normal TV audio mode after a channel search has
been completed.) Below and to the left of this circle of cursor keys
surrounding the "enter key, is a small square key the same size as the
"menu" key and "exit" key just discussed. This small square key below and
to the left of the circle of keys is labeled "info". (This key is not
used and has no purpose for the operation of our radio.) Below and to the
right of the circle of cursor keys surrounding the "enter key, is another
small square key the same size as the "info" key just discussed. This
small square key below and to the right of the circle of keys and to the
right of the "info" key, is labeled "signal". (When this key is pressed,
the radio will emit a tone whose pitch is a relative indicator of signal
quality. Pressing this key will cause an audio tone to be heard through
the radios speaker. The pitch of this audible tone will increase when the
signal from the channel being received is stron!
ger and the quality of the data being received by the radio is better
with fewer errors. The pitch of this audible tone will decrease if the
signal strength of the selected channel decreases and the quality of the
data being received by the radio degrades. This is a useful feature when
you need to orient the radio's antenna for best possible reception of the
channel you're listening too. Pressing the "exit" key discussed earlier,
will turn off this signal strength indicator, and return you to the TV
channel you were previously listening too.) On the left side of the key
pad just below the small square "info" key just mentioned, is a rather
large square key labeled "volume up". (Pressing this key will increase
the audio volume from the radio.) The large square key just below this
"volume up" key is the "volume down" key. (Pressing this key will
decrease the audio volume from the radio.) To the right of the "volume
up" key is another rather large square key labeled "channel u!
p". (pressing this button will cause the radio to select and tune to the
next highest available numeric channel. For example, if the radio is
tuned to channel 7-1, pressing this "channel up" key would cause the
radio to select channel 7-2, if this channel exists.) Just below the
"channel up" key and to the right of the "volume down" key is a large
square key labeled "channel down". (pressing this key will cause the
radio to select and tune to the next lower available numeric channel. For
example, if the radio is tuned to channel 7-2, pressing this "channel
down" key would cause the radio to select channel 7-1.) The twelve
rectangular keys below the "volume down" and "channel down" keys consist
of the numeric keys that are used to select your desired channel. These
keys are arranged and configured in four rows of three keys each just
like the numeric keys on a touch tone telephone. This means that the
first three keys in the first row of keys below the "volume down" key and
"channel down" key are keys #1, #2 and #3. The #1 key is at the far lef!
t of this row and the "#3" key is at the right edge of this first row of
keys. The "zero" key is the center key in the bottom row of three keys.
The key to the left of this "zero" key is labeled "CC". (This key is not
used and has no purpose for the operation of our radio.) The key to the
right of the "zero" key is the dash ("-") key. (This key is used when
entering the channel number you want the radio to receive. If this key is
pressed by itself without pressing any other keys, this key will cause
the radio to select the previous channel it was tuned too.)
The Braille chart enclosed and included with your radio is intended to
illustrate the locations of all of the keys on your radio's keypad. It is
hoped that this Braille chart will help you to familiarize yourself with
your radio's keypad and even memorize the location of these keys.
Installation And Setup
When you receive and unpack your radio, you should find in the shipping
carton the radio, an AC to DC adapter power supply for the radio, a
Braille chart that depicts the location of the keys on the radio's keypad
and this instructions manual unless you requested these users
instructions
be provided to you in ASCII text format. If you requested a users
instructions manual in Braille, audio compact disk or ink print, they
should be included with your radio. If you requested your users
instructions manual in ascii text format, these instructions were
E-Mailed
to you at some point before you received your radio and consequently
these
users instructions would not be included with your radio's shipment.
After unpacking your radio and verifying that you have all of these
items,
plug the supplied AC to DC adapter power supply into your radio and
connect it to a suitable #120VAC power source. Next, either connect the
radio's telescoping whip antenna to the radio and fully extend this
antenna, or if you have a high quality active indoor TV antenna or have
access to an outdoor TV antenna connect one of these superior TV antennas
to your radio instead. Now turn the radio on by pressing the "power"
button on your radio's keypad. Unless you're fortunate enough to reside
in
the San Francisco bay area where your radio was built and tested, your
radio will give you the silent treatment after you turn it on. You might
hear a slight pop from the speaker of the radio when you pressed the
"power" key, but unless you live in the San Francisco bay area, your
radio
will be silent. If your radio is giving you the silent treatment, you
will
need to perform a "channel search" Before you'll be !
able to use and enjoy your radio. If you want to confirm that your radio
is turned on and working at this point, you can if you like press the
"signal" button on your radio's keypad. If you do this, you should hear a
low tone emanating from the speaker of your radio. You can use your
radio's volume controls to control the volume level of this tone. You
will need to press the "exit" button on the radio's keypad to extinguish
this tone and insure that your radio is ready to perform a "channel
search".
first time channel search
(menu-#511)
With your radio turned on and with a suitable TV antenna connected to
your
radio, you can now perform a "channel search". During this "channel
search", your radio will erase any and all useless information about
previously stored channels that might be in the radios memory, and find
and store all of the current channels the radio can now receive at its
new
location. All DTV receivers must perform this channel search before they
can be used. To initiate a "channel search" with your radio, press the
following keys on your radio's keypad in this exact order. First press
the
"menu" key. Next, press key "#5". Now, press the "#1" key. Finally, press
this "#1" key once again. Your radio will now quietly perform a channel
search. Typically, it takes the DTV radio approximately two and a half
minutes to perform a "channel search". It is necessary to perform this
"channel search", whenever you move the radio to a new geographic
location, upgrade or change the TV antenna connected to t!
he radio, or when you just want to see if new channels are available.
In the old days of analog television, the channel number assigned to a
television station was directly related to the slice of frequency
spectrum
the TV station was licensed to occupy. Hence, in those old days, the
frequency assignment for channel #2 in New York City was the same as that
assigned to TV channel #2 in Los Angeles and to any TV station identified
as channel #2 anywhere in the United States. In those days, if you tuned
your television set or TV radio to the frequency assigned to channel #2,
you would receive the television station identifying itself as channel #2
in your local area if there was a channel #2 in your local area. When
digital television was adopted, this relationship between a stations
channel number and the frequency it was assigned to occupy was abandoned.
Today, a TV station identifying itself as channel #4 located in Seattle
will have a different frequency assignment than a television station
identifying itself as channel #4 in San Francisco. T!
here is no longer any relationship between the channel number being used
by a television station and its frequency assignment. It is now possible
for the television station referring to itself as channel #2 in New York
City to be using the same assigned frequency as another television
station in Chicago referring to itself as channel #53. Today, every
digital television station in the United States continuously broadcasts a
repetitive data stream that contains its call letters, channel number and
programming information. When your radio performs a "channel search" it
scans all possible television frequency assignments searching for these
identifying data streams. When it finds one of these data streams, it
logs this data into its memory along with the frequency allocation where
the channel can be found. After the "channel search has been completed,
the radio will know where to find a particular channel when you enter
that channel number on the radio's keypad. The big advant!
age of this scheme to the Federal Communications Commission is that they
can auction off and reassign unused television frequency allocations in a
particular local area, without this activity being noticed or bothersome
to a TV viewer. The disadvantage of this scheme is that if a new
television station begins broadcasting in your area, no matter how close
this station might be to you, you will not be aware of its existence
unless you've used the "channel search" function on your DTV radio or
television set after this TV station has begun broadcasting.
As mentioned previously, it takes your radio approximately two and a half
minutes to complete its "channel search" so wait approximately three
minutes after you've initiated this "channel search" and then press the
"enter" key on your radio's keypad. Pressing this "enter" button on the
radios key pad will allow you to hear audio from the first or lowest
numbered channel the radio is capable of receiving. It may take as much
as
two or three seconds for this audio to appear after you've pressed the
"enter"key. It's important to note that the only channels that your DTV
radio can receive are the channels it found during its channel search.
selecting and listening
to TV channels
There are two methods of selecting the TV channels you want to listen too
with your radio. You can use the "channel up" and "channel down" buttons
to explore and discover what's on the air, or you can enter the number of
the TV channel you'd like to listen too directly with the numeric keys on
the radio's keypad. Entering the number of the channel you'd like to
listen too is a more certain and direct way of knowing what you're
listening too.
Depending upon your location and proximity to local TV stations and the
TV
antenna you're using with your radio, you will probably discover that you
can listen to more tv channels with
your DTV radio than you were previously able to enjoy using
just your analog tv set or analog TV radio. At our Oehm Electronics
location here in San Jose California, we were able to receive seventeen
analog TV channels with an analog tv set before the DTV transition in
June
of 2009. This analog TV set was connected to a thirty year old tv antenna
located in the attic of our modest two story wood framed building. Now,
With one of our DTV radios connected to this same attic mounted TV
antenna, we can receive seventy two tv channels. This is because the ATSC
digital broadcast standards for distributing DTV channels allows each tv
station to multicast additional channels of programming. These same tv
stations could only fit one channel of programming in their allocated
frequency when they were broadcasting the old NTSC analog format, but
with
the 8VSB ATSC digital transmission broadcast format, they can squeeze as
many as twenty different tv channels and television programs into this
same frequency allocation. Very few tv stations will e!
ver choose to broadcast twenty different channels of programming at the
same time though. Most tv stations choose to broadcast anywhere from one
to six tv channels of programming in their frequency allocation. However,
one of the local channels available to us at Oehm Electronics is choosing
to multicast sixteen different TV channels. These sixteen channels are
part of the seventy two channels that our radio's can receive when
connected to the aforementioned attic antenna. Each additional channel
that a particular tv station chooses to multicast reduces the video
resolution capacity available for each TV program. If a tv station
chooses to multicast more than eight TV programs the video resolution of
some of these programs will have to be much less than even the old NTSC
standards offered. The main flagship program from each tv station is
always broadcast on their dash one (-1) channel. This means that the
programs that used to be carried on analog channel #7 will now be br!
oadcast on DTV channel #7-1. Similarly the programming that used to be
available on analog channel #11, will now be available on DTV channel
#11-1. After you have operated the "channel search" function on your
radio and are listening to the lowest numbered TV channel found, you can
switch to channel #7-1 or channel #11-1 if they're available in your
area, by simply entering seven dash one ("#7" "-" "#1") or eleven dash
one ("#1" "#1" "-" "#1") on the keypad of your radio. If either of these
TV stations are simulcasting additional TV programs, you can select the
additional sub-channels that are carrying these additional TV programs by
entering either "#7" "-" "#2" or "#1" "#1" "-" "#2" on the radio's
keypad. If these channels are indeed available, your radio will switch to
them. If these channels don't exist, your radio will remain tuned to the
channel currently being received. If either of these TV stations in our
example are multicasting a third TV channel, you can select this third
channel by either entering "#7" "-" "#3" or "#1" "#1" "-" "#!
3" on the radio's keypad. As with the previous example, if these channels
are indeed available, your radio will switch to them. If these channels
don't exist, your radio will remain tuned to the channel currently
selected. You can employ this method of exploration to discover how many
additional TV programs (sub-channels) a particular TV station is
offering.
Here's another handy shortcut. If you press key "#7" on the keypad of
your
radio without pressing any additional keys, your radio will assume you
want channel #7-1 and will automatically tune to this channel if it can
be
received in your area. Your radio will always tune to the -1 flagship
program channel if just the whole number value is entered.
You can discover information about some of the available TV channels in
your area by checking the TV program listings for your local area. These
local TV listings can be found on various internet websites and in local
newspaper publications. Another source of information regarding local TV
channels available in your area is the information available at the
"WWW.DTV.GOV" and "WWW.FCC.GOV" websites. Both of these websites allow
you
to enter your city, state and zip code into a search field and the site
returns information about TV channels that might be available in your
area. Even though both of these websites indicated that they returned
this
information in a geographical map format, I found that this information
was easy to read with my Window Eyes screen reading software.
Unfortunately, I found that the information returned by these websites
about local channels available in my area was not as useful or accurate
as
I would have hoped it would be. The information returned !
was a bit out of date, as it didn't include information about a local DTV
channel that has been on the air in this area for over a year. Could it
really be, the FCC doesn't know about this local DTV station? Another
problem with the local channel information returned by these websites is
that this information is based upon the assumption that an outdoor
omnidirectional TV antenna 30 feet above the ground is being used with a
TV receiver. Since it was impractical to make our radio's telescoping
whip antenna extendable to thirty feet, and since most of you will not
usually be listening to your radio outdoors, your mileage may vary from
the results indicated by these websites. If you do use a good quality
active indoor TV antenna or if you have access to an outdoor TV antenna,
you might be able to obtain reception results that are similar to those
presented by these websites. At the very least, these websites can
provide you with some useful information about local channels th!
at may be available to you.
DTV reception
Reception of digital television signals differs a great deal from analog
TV reception. Analog TV reception starts at excellent and degrades
gradually as the signal from the TV station becomes weaker. Analog TV
reception could also become distorted if the TV signal was being
reflected
and two versions of the analog signal were arriving at the TV antenna at
slightly different times. This gradual signal degradation and distortion
resulting from TV signal reflections are impossible outcomes with digital
TV reception. If the signal from a digital TV station is strong enough
when it reaches the TV antenna, reception will be perfect with absolutely
no noise or distortions. If signal strength or signal quality is in any
way compromised beyond a certain point reception of this digital
television station will immediately become impossible. When attempting to
receive digital television signals with indoor antennas at distances
greater than twenty miles from the digital TV stations tran!
smitter, or in areas where Their obstacles between the TV stations
transmitter and the receivers indoor antenna, the difference between
perfect reception of a digital TV signal and no signal being received at
all can be caused by the slightest of variations in signal reception
conditions. Slight changes in the weather, someone walking in front of
the TV antenna, a slight shift in the location of the TV antenna are all
factors that can mean the difference between excellent, flawless
reception of a particular DTV channel and no reception at all of this
channel. Using modest indoor TV antennas like the telescoping whip
antenna on your radio when attempting reception of DTV channels farther
than twenty miles or so from the radio can be challenging and requires
patience and luck. In order for DTV reception to occur, the data being
received from the digital TV station, has to be complete, unobstructed
and relatively accurate. Interference and or weak signal conditions will
comple!
tely eliminate reception of a particular DTV channel. Propagation of TV
channels is considered to be "line of sight" propagation. This means that
these signals do not bend with the horizon and can be obstructed by
natural and man made obstacles in the path between the TV transmitter and
the television receiver. This is why television stations locate their
transmission facilities in locations that are as high as possible above
average terrain. These television transmission facilities serve the
geographic areas they overlook. Hills, tall trees, buildings and other
obstructions can block reception of television signals. The higher your
TV antenna the better your reception of television channels will be.
Additionally, reception of television channels will be improved if the
receiving antenna is outdoors or near an exterior wall or window of a
dwelling. In marginal signal reception areas you may find the number of
DTV channels you receive with your radio's telescoping whip antenna will
be slightly different in different rooms of your house. This is!
why we recommend that for best reception of DTV channels with your
radio, you should use an outdoor TV antenna or a good quality active
indoor antenna if possible. The radio's telescoping whip antenna is a
convenient way to receive digital TV channels that are close to you, but
an outdoor TV antenna or a good quality active indoor TV antenna can
really improve your reception of DTV channels.
There are lots of outdoor and active indoor TV antennas being sold by a
wide variety of vendors. You will obtain the best reception results with
a
well chosen and installed outdoor TV antenna. It is wise to read customer
reviews and research product review articles before selecting one of
these
TV antennas. One relatively informative website that might help you do
this is "www.antennasdirect.com". You might also inquire amongst friends
and neighbors who reside in your area who obtain their TV reception from
over the air TV channels and not from a cable company or satellite dish,
to find out what works best for them. Your radio is a digital TV set
without a screen that provides an easy to use interface. This means that
your radio will perform in a nearly identical manner as any digital TV
set
would when connected to the same TV antenna. When working with outdoor
antennas, don't be confused by the term "digital TV antenna". An antenna
doesn't care whether the signals it's rece!
iving are digital or not and this term is nearly meaningless when it
comes to the performance of outdoor TV antennas. This is not entirely the
case when it comes to signal booster amplifiers and active indoor TV
antennas though. DTV reception can often times be adversely affected by
the noise, distortion and phase irregularities that some low quality
signal booster amplifiers introduce. In fact, if you're using an outdoor
TV antenna with one of these signal booster amplifiers, you may discover
that you can obtain much better digital TV signal reception without the
signal booster amplifier. A signal booster amplifier that claims it is
designed for Digital TV reception should be quieter and more linear than
lower quality units. Similarly, a newer active indoor TV antenna may
provide better digital TV reception than one designed and sold during the
reign of analog television. However, if you happen to have one of these
older antennas lying around, don't hesitate to try it out !
with your radio. At Oehm Electronics we tested about a half dozen active
indoor antennas currently available on the market. We found that the best
two active indoor antennas in the small group of a half dozen units we
tested, were the Winegard model SS-3000 active indoor antenna and the
radio shack amplified indoor antenna catalog #15-254. Though we obtained
marginally better performance from the Winegard indoor antenna and even
though Winegard has a stellar reputation for building high quality
antennas and signal booster amplifiers, we're not recommending this
Winegard antenna. This is because the price of this model SS-3000 from
Winegard is a bit too high at $69.00 and the antenna requires a lot of
assembly to get it put together and working properly. The antenna comes
in several pieces that need to be assembled together. This assembly is
not terribly intuitive and requires the ability to closely observe the
printed illustrations provided in the users instructions manual to figure
out how it goes together. We do highly recommend the Radio Sh!
ack #15-254 because it performs nearly as well as the Winegard, and its
retail price is only $34.95. At the time of the writing of this manual,
this antenna is on sale at Radio Shack for $24.95. These indoor TV
antennas represent typical examples of what's currently available. Our
test of only a half dozen different active indoor TV antennas isn't
thorough or complete enough to root out and discover the very best units
available. There are over fifty different makes and models of these types
of TV antennas readily available, so our test results are simply not
thorough enough to provide this type of information. However, the
following comparison test results will illustrate the points about DTV
reception that we discussed in the previous paragraphs.
Oehm Electronics is approximately fifteen miles from a few DTV stations,
and approximately fifty five miles from several other DTV stations. As
mentioned earlier in this manual we are able to receive seventy two DTV
channels with our radio connected to our thirty year old attic antenna.
Downstairs in our shop, using just the radio's telescoping whip antenna
we
were able to receive twenty three digital television channels with our
radio. With the Winegard SS-3000 antenna carefully oriented and connected
to the radio, we were able to receive thirty four DTV channels. Using the
Radio Shack #15-254 antenna carefully oriented and with its gain control
adjusted to maximum, we were also able to receive thirty four DTV
channels. When we took our DTV radio and these two antennas upstairs to
our offices things changed a bit. Using our radio with its Telescoping
whip antenna we were now able to receive forty two DTV channels. With the
Winegard SS-3000 antenna carefully oriented and con!
nected to the radio, we were able to receive sixty five DTV channels.
Using the Radio Shack #15-254 antenna carefully oriented and with its
gain control adjusted to maximum, we were able to receive sixty two DTV
channels. These test results illustrate the difference that location,
height and antenna quality can make to successful DTV signal reception.
Upstairs in our offices, we were still at least eight feet below our
thirty year old outdoor TV antenna mounted in our attic. It's difficult
to predict what results we might have obtained if we could have taken our
radio and antennas up to the roof of our building.
When orienting an antenna for best reception of a DTV channel, the"signal
quality indicator tones" provided by your DTV radio can be very helpful.
With your radio tuned to a DTV channel that you'd like to improve your
reception of, press the "signal" button on your radio's keypad. Pressing
this key will cause an audio tone to be heard through the radios speaker.
The pitch of this audible tone will increase when the signal from the
channel being received is stronger and the quality of the data being
received by the radio is better with fewer errors. The pitch of this
audible tone will decrease if the signal strength of the selected channel
decreases and the quality of the data being received by the radio
degrades. When the signal quality indicator tone drops below
approximately
440 Hertz (concert A on the music scale) reception of the selected DtV
channel will not be possible. If you know the location of the
transmitting
facility of the TV station providing the selected DTV c!
hannel, orienting the antenna for best reception of this selected DTV
channel should also improve reception of all other DTV channels
originating from that location. Since many television stations choose to
locate their transmitting facilities at the same geographic location, you
may be able to improve your reception of many DTV channels
simultaneously. When attempting to orient the antenna for best reception,
(highest pitch tone) it's helpful to keep in mind that the tone is an
indicator of signal quality and not just signal strength. For this
reason, you will notice a very slight approximate 100 millisecond delay
between the movement you make to the antenna and the corresponding
response of the indicator tone. Move slowly and carefully when orienting
the antenna, and pay close attention to the pitch of the tone as you
adjust the antenna. It can be easy to pass the best orientation position
if you move things too quickly. Pressing the "exit" key after you've
finished orien!
ting the antenna, will turn off this signal strength indicator tone, and
return you to the TV channel you were previously listening too. If you
find yourself experimenting with various types of antennas or antenna
orientations, or if you use your radio in more than one location, you may
want to perform additional channel searches with your radio to see if you
can receive more and or different DTV channels using different antennas,
different antenna orientations or by operating your radio from different
locations around your home. You may not want to lose any of the DTV
channels stored in your radios memory, that can be received with
different antennas or from different locations, you'd just like to search
for and add new channels that a better antenna or different location
makes it possible for your radio to receive. Fortunately, your radio can
search for and add new channels without erasing the information already
stored in its memory. The information in the next section of this
instructions manual will describe this very useful feature of yo!
ur radio.
searching for and adding
TV channels (menu-5121)
As mentioned at the end of the previous section of this instructions
manual there will be times when you'd like to search for and add DTV
channels to your radio's memory without deleting the channels your radio
has already found. This would be especially useful if you operate your
radio from a variety of different locations around your home or use your
radio with different TV antennas. You may also wish to perform a channel
search periodically just to see if new channels have become available in
your area. To initiate a "channel search" that adds new channels without
deleting any of the channels currently stored in your radio's memory,
press the following keys on your radio's keypad in this exact order.
First
press the "menu" key. Next, press key "#5". Now, press the "#1" key. Next
press the "#2" key. Finally, press the "#1" key once again. Your radio
will now quietly perform a channel search adding any new channels it
finds
to its memory without deleting previously stored c!
hannel information. Wait three minutes and then press the "enter" key on
your radio's keypad. Pressing this "enter" key after three minutes will
cause your radio to select the lowest numbered channel from the list of
DTV channel assignments stored in its memory. Your radio will not
automatically select any of the new channels it might have just found,
unless a newly found channel turns out to be the lowest numbered channel
on the list of its memorized channels. You will need to perform some
exploration to find out whether your radio found and added additional
channels to its memory during this "channel search".
Important Warning:
Do not perform this "add channels search" if you are operating your radio
from a geographic location significantly different from where you've been
using your radio previously. If you move your radio to a completely new
location (to another city or town for example) perform the "first time
channel search" ("menu" "#5" "#1" "#1") described earlier in this manual.
The "first time channel search ("menu" "#5" "#1" "#1")" will delete all
previously stored DTV channel information in your radio's memory. This is
exactly what you want to happen if you take your radio to a new
geographic
location. If your radio's memory has information in it about two
different
TV stations identifying themselves as channel #5 for example, when you
attempt to select this channel with your radio's keypad, the radio will
not know which channel #5 to select and will malfunction and stop working
properly. To prevent this, always perform the "first time channel search
("menu" "#5 "#1" "#1") when operating !
your radio from a new geographic location.
selecting alternate audio
If alternate audio programs are available on any DTV channel, your radio
can easily receive these additional audio programs. Up to ten mono or 5
stereo alternate audio programs can be offered by each DTV channel. Most
DTV channels offer anywhere from no additional programs to three
additional audio programs. When offered, these additional audio programs
can be a foreign language soundtrack for the TV program being aired or
one
of these additional audio programs could contain audio descriptions of
the
on screen action for the TV program being broadcast. You can select any
of
these alternate audio programs if they are available for the TV channel
you're listening too by pressing the "enter" key on the keypad of your
radio. Pressing the "enter" key will allow you to toggle through any
available alternate audio programs. Each press of the "enter key selects
one of the audio programs available from the television channel selected.
If no alternate audio programs exist for the TV p!
rogram you're listening too, nothing will happen when you press the
"enter" key. If one or more alternate audio programs exist, you will hear
a slight interruption in the audio from your radio as a different audio
program is selected. If you continue pressing the "enter" key you will
toggle through all of the additional audio programs offered for the
channel you're listening too and wind up back on the primary audio
program for the selected TV channel. Don't be surprised or alarmed if you
press the "enter" key and suddenly your radio becomes silent. At Oehm
Electronics we've noticed that some of our local PBS television channels
leave their alternate audio channels activated even when they're not
using them to broadcast an alternate audio program. We've also noticed
that some of the major commercial network stations simply simulcast their
main audio program offering on their alternate audio channels when they
don't have any alternate audio programs available. When you toggl!
e through the additional alternate audio program channels that a selected
TV channel is offering, you never know what you might find.
Unfortunately, your radio doesn't maintain your alternate audio selection
when you select a different TV channel or when you turn off your radio.
If you change the channel or turn off your radio you will need to use the
"enter" key to re-select the alternate audio program you had been
listening too. This is true even if you use the "dash" key on the keypad
to return to this previous channel. The radio always defaults to the main
audio program when the channel is changed or the radio is powered on.
connecting audio devices
Your DTV radio provides two connections for sending its audio to other
devices. On the front panel of your radio just to the left of the keypad
is an "External speaker" jack used to connect the radio to a mono
headset,
external speaker or other listening device. This front panel female jack
is a 1/8 inch mono connector. It accommodates the 1/8 inch mono type
plugs
used by a wide variety of portable electronics. When an appropriate plug
from an external speaker, mono headset or other listening device is
inserted into this front panel jack, sound from the radio's internal
speaker is silenced and this audio is routed to the listening device
connected to this front panel connector. The volume control of the radio
controls the audio level available from this front panel 1/8 inch female
type audio connector. High quality stereo audio is also available from
your radio via its rear panel two RCA type female jacks/connectors. These
are "external audio" connectors which you can use to!
connect your radio directly to stereo amplifiers, and stereo receivers.
With the right audio adapters you can also use these rear panel RCA
connectors to connect your radio to amplified stereo speakers or even a
pair of stereo headphones. You can do this by using a patch cord (like
the radio shack catalog #42492) which has two male RCA connectors that
can be plugged into your radio's rear panel female RCA jacks. The other
end of this cord has a 1/8 inch stereo male plug that can be turned into
a female jack connector with a stereo audio coupler adapter (like the
Radio Shack catalog #274-1555) which will turn the 1/8 inch stereo male
end of this patch cord into a 1/8 inch female jack allowing connection
of your radio to amplified stereo speakers or a pair of stereo
headphones. When appropriate RCA type male plugs are inserted into these
rear panel female connectors, sound from the radio's speaker is
extinguished. The volume control of the radio controls the audio level
ava!
ilable from these rear panel stereo RCA type connectors. When your radio
is connected to a stereo amplifier or receiver, adjust your radio's
volume control so that the audio level coming from your radio matches the
audio level of your other stereo audio components. This will insure that
audio from your radio is at the same level as the other audio sources you
listen to from your stereo system. When connecting your radio to
amplified stereo speakers or stereo headphones, use your radio's volume
controls to obtain a comfortable listening level from these devices.
using your radio with the
BP-#25 external battery pack
If you'd like to be able to use your radio during power outages or if
you'd like to operate your radio where AC power is not available, you can
purchase the Oehm Electronics model BP-25 battery pack. This external
battery pack connects to your radio's rear panel "+#9VDC in" power jack
and it can power your radio for several hours from six standard D size
flashlight batteries.
Important Warning: You will want to connect this external battery pack to
your radio only when you intend to use it on battery power. After you've
finished using your radio and turned it off, be sure to disconnect this
battery pack from your radio. Do not leave the battery pack connected to
your radio when your radio is not being used. Your radio consumes a small
amount of power even when it is powered off. This small amount of power
consumption can easily drain your batteries prematurely. So don't forget
to disconnect your radio from the battery pack when you are finished
listening to it. Your radio doesn't require any power to remember the
last
channel it was tuned too or where the volume level was set. These
parameters are stored in nonvolatile memory.
Safety Precautions and
Considerations
This information should be read thoroughly before the radio is installed
and operated. Please RETAIN these instructions for future reference. The
radio can easily and quickly be installed at any location. It requires
virtually no routine maintenance or attention. This Oehm Electronics
radio
uses state of the art components and engineering techniques to deliver
the
highest possible quality noise free sound to the end user. The radio has
been designed to provide many years of reliable trouble free service.
Please read the following information before using this product.
UNPACKING THE UNIT
When you receive and unpack the radio, inspect the unit thoroughly and
make sure the radio has not sustained any physical damage during
shipment.
If the unit is damaged in any way, do not apply power and attempt to
operate the radio. Carefully inspect the cabinet for dents, warps and
other irregularities. Make sure that all switches, controls and rear
panel
connectors, are undamaged.
SHAKE TEST
Carefully pick up the radio and shake it while listening for any rattles
or sounds of loose hardware or other components. If there is loose
hardware or unsecured components in the cabinet of the radio DO NOT apply
power or attempt system operation since doing this may cause damage to
the
radio and possible electric shock to the user. If the radio has sustained
any physical damage please contact Oehm Electronics IMMEDIATELY so the
problem can be resolved. Never attempt to remove the back panel from this
radio. Doing so, may expose you to electrical shock and may create a fire
danger. Refer all servicing to a qualified Electronics Technician. If the
radio is undamaged, proceed with installation and operation.
CLEANING
The radio should be installed and or stored in a relatively dust free
environment. Outer covers and panels may be cleaned but first the DC
adapter must be disconnected from the radio and AC power outlet. Do not
use liquid or aerosol cleaners, use only a cloth that is slightly
dampened
with furniture polish or mild detergent when cleaning the radio.
WATER AND MOISTURE CONSIDERATIONS
Never expose the radio to rain or moisture and never spill liquid onto
this product. If the radio has been exposed to any kind of moisture,
cease
operation immediately and consult with Oehm Electronics or a qualified
service technician. Failure to observe these precautions may result in
damage to the radio and or electrical shock to the operator.
PHYSICAL DAMAGE
When installing the radio handle it with care. Do not drop the unit or
expose it to excess physical shock. The radio is a precision instrument
which contains many fragile components, therefore, if the unit must be
shipped, transported, or handled, care should be taken to provide
appropriate protection from these types of damages.
HEAT
The radio should never be operated or stored near sources of heat such as
radiators, heat registers or direct sunlight.
FCC information
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject
to the following two conditions:
(1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device
must accept any interference received, including interference that may
cause undesired operation.
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a
Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of FCC Rules.These limits are
designed to provide
reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential
installation. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate
radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with
these instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio
communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not
occur in a particular installation.
If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television
reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on,
the user is encouraged to try to
correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:
Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to
which the receiver is connected. Consult the dealer or an experienced
radio/TV technician for help.
WARNING: Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party
responsible for compliance could void the user's authority to operate the
equipment.
two Year limited Warranty
This Oehm Electronics radio has been designed to provide many years of
flawless high quality trouble free performance. This product comes with a
full two year parts and labor limited warranty. This parts and labor
warranty does not cover repairs necessitated by man caused accidents or
acts of nature. It also does not cover repairs resulting from improper
installation or operation of this equipment, or misadjustment of controls
not covered in the user documentation for this equipment. Additionally,
this two year limited warranty supersedes any other warranty or
guarantees for this product.
If in the unlikely event that any problem should arise During the first
two years after the radio has been purchased, Oehm Electronics will at
its option, either repair or replace the malfunctioning radio without
charge. The customer will be responsible for any and all shipping charges
associated with returning this equipment to Oehm Electronics. Oehm
Electronics upon receiving the defective equipment, will either repair or
replace this equipment and cover the cost of returning the repaired
equipment to the customer without charge.
This is the only remedy available under the terms of this warranty.
Before returning any equipment, you are strongly encouraged to contact
Oehm Electronics. Most radio problems can usually be solved in the field
with just a bit of technical consultation. Any equipment returned to Oehm
Electronics for repair, must have a written note included with the
equipment, that contains the following information.
1. The name of the customer/organization returning this equipment.
2. The name, telephone number, and if possible an E-Mail address of a
person familiar with the problems being experienced with this equipment.
3. The address of the location where this equipment should be returned
once it has been repaired.
If a radio is not performing properly, use the following contact
information to obtain repair service and or technical support.
Oehm Electronics
2194C Galveston Avenue
San Jose, California 95122-3617
telephone: (408) 971-6250
fax: (408) 693-3697
E-Mail: oehmelec@xxxxxxx
Gene,
We are an "over the air" household.
My first choice would be to include the picture since we need to buy a
new
TV for the family soon.
I would also be interested in getting the TV radio style you mentioned
and
put it on my desk.
Near my desk I have been using an old style TV with a TV converter box
with
a SAP button on its remote, but the SAP portion failed a while ago, and
last
night it seems the whole converter box failed. I would like to avoid
any
converter box going forward.
Wayne
----- Original Message -----
From: "Gene" <gsasner@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <accesscomp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, July 30, 2012 11:48 PM
Subject: [accesscomp] Re: SAP Button
Do you care if there is a picture? Do you want to receive over air
signals or signals from some other source. If you are interested in
over
air signals and not cable or other sources, there are many options if
you
don't care if you have a picture. There are converter boxes you can
use
to play over air television signals through a stereo or amplified
speakers. Many such units have a sap button on the remote. Also, For
over air reception, there is a TV radio made for blind people with a
SAP
button as part of the radio.
Gene
----- Original Message -----
From: "Wayne W Hinckley" <wwhinckley@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <accesscomp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, July 30, 2012 10:00 PM
Does anyone know of any currant television models that have a SAP
button
on the remote?
Or next best, on the TV itself?
Third choice, are there any universal remotes with a SAP button?
Thanks for any help with this.
Wayne
